ES2583807T3 - Dispensing and application head - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing and application head (3) intended to be associated with a dispensing unit (2), such as a pump, a valve, to a flexible tube, the head comprising an application pad (5) defining a face ( 53) external application intended to come into contact with the skin, the pad (5) being essentially made of a heat-carrying material to confer a feeling of cold on contact with the skin, the pad (5) defining a thickness from of an inner face (56) towards the outer face (53), the pad (5) being traversed by a dispensing passage (50) which causes the two inner (56) and outer (53) faces to communicate, being made the pad (5) for application in zamak, and covered with a protective barrier layer of inert material, such as nickel and / or chrome, at least at the level of the dispensing passage (50) and the surface (53) of application, the head also comprising a body ( 4) of plastic material defining a section (4a) of attachment to the dispensing unit (2), an application section (4c) in contact with the inner face (56) of the application pad (5), and a connecting section (4b) connecting the connecting section (4a) with the application section (4c), the body (4) defining a dispensing channel (43) that communicates with the dispensing passage (50) on the side of the inner face (56), characterized in that the pad (5) has the minimum thickness at the level of the dispensing passage (50), said thickness being of the order of 1 to 4 mm.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Dispensing and application head

The present invention relates to a dispensing and application head intended to be associated with a dispensing unit, such as a pump, a valve, a flexible tube etc. The head comprises an application pad that defines an external application face intended to come into contact with the skin, the pad being essentially made of a heat-carrying material to confer a feeling of contact with the skin, the pad defining a thickness from an inner face to the outer face, the pad being traversed by an application passage that causes both inner and outer faces to communicate. The preferred fields of application of the present invention are those of cosmetics, pharmacy, or even perfume.

In the field of cosmetics and perfume, there are already fluid product dispensers that comprise a fluid product tank associated with a nigged application head and heat carrier, intended to be in contact with the skin, especially the face. For example, documents WO2010141158, WO2010141159, FR2954936 and FR2915972 are known. The head forms an application pad at which level a dispensing hole is opened. The user activates the dispenser to emit a dose of fluid product, then it is extended with the help of an application pad that provides a massage effect and, especially, a sensation of good contact with the skin, which is very pleasant.

In document FR2915972, the metal or ceramic pad defines a perforation in which a plastic insert that forms an outlet duct and the dispensing hole is received. Therefore, the dispensed fluid product is never in contact with the perforation, but the hole is visibly formed by a piece (the insert) that is different from the pad, which is not really aesthetic.

In WO2010141158 and WO2010141159, the pad comprises a conical trunk dispensing passage that defines a longer inlet on its inner surface and on its outer surface a dispensing hole. The distributed fluid product comes into contact with the entire trunk-conical passage and cools on its contact. It can also be said that the fluid product heats the pad due to prolonged contact. In the present invention, the fluid product comes into contact with the dispensing passage, as in the aforementioned documents WO2010141158 and WO2010141159.

The present invention seeks to preserve the advantages of these pads from the prior art, while eliminating their inconveniences. The fluid product must pass through the pad (without insertion), without being heated. The aim of the present invention is to facilitate a possible treatment of the pad surface, particularly at the level of the dispensing passage.

To do this, the present invention provides a dispensing and application head intended to be associated with a dispensing unit, such as a pump, a valve, or a flexible tube, the head comprising a pad defining an outer face of application intended to come into contact with the skin, the pad being essentially made of a heat carrier material to achieve a feeling of good contact with the skin, the pad defining a thickness from an inner face to the outer face, being traversed the pad by an application passage that makes the two inner and outer faces communicate, the application pad being made in a mental, such as zamak, and covered with a protective barrier layer of inert material, such as nickel and / or chrome, at least at the level of the dispensing passage and the application surface, the head also comprising a body of plastic material or defining a joint section to the dispensing unit, an application section in contact with the inner face of the application pad, and a connection section that connects the union section to the application section, the bodies defining a dispensing channel that communicates with the dispensing passage on the side of the inner face, the application pad having a minimum thickness at the level of the passage of the order of 1 to 4 mm.

In this way, the fluid product passes directly through the pad passing through the dispensing passage, and is not subjected to a small heating because the dispensing passage is very short. For the user, the fluid product exits directly from the pad (and not from a plastic insert), and the pad remains "fna" since it is only slightly influenced by the fluid product.

The inner face, for example, may have a superior concavity in the convexity of the outer face.

The low depth of the dispensing passage makes it possible to apply a coating on the pad without risking imperfection at the level of the passage. Indeed, if the passage is long and thin, it is extremely difficult to guarantee a perfect application of the coating in the passage. Said coating is especially necessary with a zamak pad that is not inert for certain fluid products, such as cosmetic creams: it is therefore necessary to apply an inert protective coating or barrier.

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Advantageously, the connection section is flexible so that the application pad is movable with respect to the joint section. Advantageously, the application section is molded on the application pad.

According to another feature, the application section is in contact with most of the inner face of the application pad. Advantageously, the dispensing channel comprises a downstream end that is directly adjacent to the dispensing passage. Preferably, the dispensing channel defines a substantially spherical cavity immediately upstream of the dispensing passage.

One of the principles of the present invention resides in the fact of forming a very short dispensing passage in the pad, the fluid product being directly fed in the passage, preferably, without additional prior contact with the pad. Said pad can be easily coated with an inert layer, if necessary.

In the figures:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a fluid product dispenser according to an embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the dispenser of Figure 1a,

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the dispensing head of Figures 1 and 2.

First, reference will be made to Figures 1 and 2 to describe in detail the structure and the dispenser of fluid product according to the first embodiment of the invention. The dispenser essentially comprises five constituent elements, namely a reservoir 1 of fluid product, a dispensing unit 2 which here is a side-operated pump, a dispensing head 3 consisting of a connection and connection piece 4 associated with a application pad 5.

The reservoir 1 of fluid product can be of any type, in any form and made of various suitable materials. In the field of cosmetics, it is common to use a particular tank as shown in Figure 1, which comprises a sliding cylindrical rod 10 associated with a follower piston 12 that travels in the rod 10 as the product fluid is being extracted. This type of deposit allows to keep the fluid product out of contact with the outside air. The follower piston 12 is disposed at one end of the rod 10 when the tank is filled, which is opposite the other end of the rod that forms a neck 11 that defines an opening that communicates the inside of the tank with the outside. It is a completely classic conception for a piston type follower tank.

The pump 2 is a side-operated pump 2 mounted in the tank 1. The pump 2 comprises an inlet valve 26 and an outlet valve 27 between which a pump chamber 25 is formed comprising a side-operated wall 29 for reduce the internal volume of chamber 25. It is noted that the outlet 28 of the pump 2 is fixed and is located on the axis of the pump and the dispenser. Head 3 is mounted on pump outlet 28

2 so that it does not suffer any displacement during the operation of the pump 2 through the side button 29.

The dispensing and application head 3 is mounted at the outlet 28 of the pump 2 and comprises an internal supply line 43 that connects the outlet 28 to a dispensing passage 50. As already mentioned, the head

3 of dispensing and application is constituted by a connection and connection piece 4 associated with an application pad 5. The connection and connection piece 4 is made of a plastic material, while the application pad 5 is made of a hard or rigid heat bearing material, such as metal, ceramic, mineral material etc. able to confer a cold sensation on skin contact. Preferably, the pad 5 is made of zamak coated with an inert protective barrier layer such as nickel and / or chrome.

Referring to Figure 3, the detailed structure of the dispensing and application head 3 can be seen. The application pad 5 is a solid monobloc piece that preferably has a revolution symmetry. It defines an external application face 53 and an internal face 56 that is in maximum contact with the connection and connection piece 4. At its outer periphery, the pad 5 defines an annular edge 54 that can be formed with a sealing cord 55. This cord 55 may be adjacent to the inner face 53. The pad 5 is crossed by a dispensing passage 50 that connects the two faces 53, 56. On the outer face 53, the dispensing passage 50 defines a dispensing hole 51, and on the inner face 56, the dispensing passage 50 defines an entry hole 52. The dispensing passage 50 is advantageously located in the center of the pad 5, although an eccentric arrangement can also be contemplated. The dispensing passage 50 defines a dispensing axis that extends high relative to the longitudinal axis of the head 3.

The outer face 53 of application is concave or pumped: its function is to receive a dose of fluid product and spread it or apply it on an application surface such as the skin of the face. The inner face 56 is concave, for example in a globally conical manner. It can be seen that the concavity of the inner face is greater than the

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convexity of the outer face 53, so that the thickness of the pad is greater at the level of its outer periphery than at the level of its center, where the dispensing passage 50 is advantageously located. In other words, the pad 5 has a minimum thickness at the level of the dispensing passage 50. Similarly, it can be said that the dispensing passage 50 is shallow or short, for example, of the order of 1 to 4 mm, so that the diameter / depth ratio can be of the order of 1, as is approximately the case of Figure 3. With a dispensing passage 50 having said configuration, it is easy to apply an inert coating on the wall of the passage, which is not the case with a long or deep passage.

As mentioned above, the application pad 5 is preferably associated by molding with the connecting and connecting piece 4 to form together the dispensing and application head 3. The connection and connection piece 4 defines three different sections, namely a connection section 4a, a connection section 4b and the application section 4c together with the application pad 5. More precisely, the plastic material that constitutes the piece 4 is molded on the pad 5, so that a kind of molded hull 45 is formed. The molded hull 45 extends around the edge 54 and the cord 55, and over almost the entire surface of the inner face 56. It can be seen that section 4c forms directly, upstream of the dispensing passage 50, that is upstream of the inlet port 52, a partially or substantially spherical cavity 46 whose diameter is larger than that of the dispensing passage 50. The cavity 46 is largely open on the dispensing passage 50 through the inlet opening 52, coming in annular contact with the part of the inner face 56 that borders the inlet opening 52. The cavity 46 is extended upstream by a dispensing channel 46 which extends through the other two sections 4b and 4a. When the piece 4 is molded on the pad 5, the channel 43 and the cavity 46 are formed by an elongated molding hitch comprising at its free end a spherical ball corresponding to the cavity. Due to its spherical shape, the ball can easily and surely come into minimal ring-tight contact with the edge of the inlet hole 52 of the pad 5. During demolding, the hitch is removed from the piece 4 by force, specifically when the The ball has a larger diameter than the channel, as is the case in Figure 3.

The connection section 4b, which is connected upstream to the application section 4c, forms a connection tube 44 that internally defines the dispensing channel 43. This deformability is conferred by the intrinsic qualities of the plastic materials used and / or the wall thicknesses reduced to this level. The connection section 4b is extended, at its lower end, by the connection section 4a comprising a connection sleeve 41 mounted to the outlet 28 of the pump. The sleeve 41 can integrate an orientation profile 42 that cooperates with a complementary profile of the pump to angularly orient the head 3 with respect to the pump 2. The joint section 4a has a stiffness superior to that of the connection section 4b, mainly due to the increase in wall thicknesses

The dispensing and application head 3 has an associated heat and sensation application pad attached to a connection and connection piece 4. Once it has been placed in the pump 2, the user can press the button 29 to dispense a dose of fluid product at the level of the dispensing hole 51. Then, you can apply the pad on a desired application surface, such as the skin, and spread the fluid product by moving the pad over the skin, thus providing a sensation of fine massage. The movements of the hand printed at the level of the tank 1 are transmitted to the pad with an attenuated or cushioned effect, due to the elasticity of the connection section 4b.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, the pad 5 may be asymmetric, the dispensing passage 50 could be eccentric, the dispensing passage 50 may be extended on the axis of the dispensing channel 43 or perpendicularly thereto, the hull 45 may extend only on a part of the inner face 56, the helmet may extend only on the edge 54, the head 3 may be mounted at the exit of a classic axially operated pump, a valve or even a folding flexible tube.

The reduced depth of the dispensing passage 50 allows the fluid product to pass directly through the pad without thereby disturbing it thermally. Furthermore, when the pad is made of a material that is not inert, such as zamak, it is possible to apply an inert coating even at the level of the dispensing passage 50, due to its reduced depth.

Claims (7)

Claims 1. A dispensing and application head (3) intended to be associated with a dispensing unit (2), such as a pump, a valve, to a flexible tube, the head comprising an application pad (5) defining a external face (53) of application intended to come into contact with the skin, the pad (5) being made 5 essentially of a heat carrier material to confer a sensation of fno to skin contact, the pad (5) defining a thickness from an inner face (56) towards the outer face (53), the pad being pierced ( 5) by a dispensing passage (50) that causes the two inner (56) and outer (53) faces to be communicated, the application pad (5) being made in zamak, and covered with a protective barrier layer of material inert, such as nickel and / or chrome, at least at the level of the dispensing passage (50) and the surface 10 (53) of application, the head also comprising a body (4) of plastic material defining a section (4th) for connection to the dispensing unit (2), an application section (4c) in contact with the inner face (56) of the application pad (5), and a connection section (4b) connecting the section (4a) ) of union with the application section (4c), the body (4) defining a dispensing channel (43) that communicates with the dispensing passage (50) on the side of the inner face (56), fifteen characterized in that the pad (5) has the minimum thickness at the level of the dispensing passage (50), said thickness being of the order of 1 to 4 mm. 2. A head according to claim 1, wherein the application pad (5) comprises a peripheral area of greater thickness and a central area of reduced thickness, the dispensing passage (50) being formed to 20 zone level reduced thickness. 3. A head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inner face (56) has a concavity that is greater than the convexity of the outer face (53). 4. A head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the connection section (4b) is flexible, so that the application pad (5) is movable with respect to the fixing section (4a). A head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the section (4c) of application It is molded onto the application pad (5). 6. A head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the application section (4c) is in contact with most of the inner face (56) of the application pad (5). 7. A head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing channel (43) includes a downstream end that is directly adjacent to the dispensing passage (50). A head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing channel (43) defines a cavity (46) that is substantially spherical, immediately upstream of the dispensing passage (50).